Archive for October 2012
Some thought I was crazy. Why would anyone want to run a marathon? After all, it didn’t work out so well for Pheidippides. But I was committed; I talked about that decision in I Could Not Run.
Two things were key to my making it through my first marathon, and I believe they will be important for you, as well:
- You must put in the miles.
- You must prepare yourself mentally.
Consistency is very important. Get to where you are running 4 or 5 days each week. You’re going to need to build your miles up, and the only way to do that is over time.
To avoid injury, avoid increasing any individual run distance, or your weekly distance total, by more than about 10%. So, if you’re doing 5 mile training runs, don’t jump to 10. If you ran 20 miles last week, don’t go to 30 in the next week. Once you begin to feel yourself getting in shape, it is tempting to push yourself into to doing something you’ve not done before … and you might well be able to do it successfully. But you might not.
It’s also good to stair-step your weekly distance … 20 miles one week, 15 the next, then up to 22, then 24, then back to 18, etc. That way, you give yourself lighter weeks to help recovery from any little stresses and strains that develop.
While I was doing the miles, I was logging every segment of every run on a spreadsheet. I monitored the mileage on my shoes (shoes should be replaced at 6 months or 500 miles) my weight, daily distance and times. I could actually see my daily progress. I played games with myself. Could I run the first segment of this 7 mile run faster than ever? The first two segments? Understand, this was simply me playing games with myself. No one ever saw that spreadsheet … but it did help provide me inspiration to get up at 4am every morning to go attack that day’s run.
And that was how I began to develop my mental approach to running. Understand, running is a mental achievement. You need to convince yourself to go sweat and make your body do things it has never done before. I remember “dead legs” at mile 14, knowing I was still two miles from home. I remember turning my ankle a mile from home. To push through, you have to really want it.
I started running to lose weight so I could go backpacking at Philmont (see Get Big Ones), so I was actually in training to lose weight for more than a year. After I conquered Philmont, I decided to extend my distances and get ready to do a 26.2 mile marathon. I was working towards running my home town race, the Santa Clarita Marathon. I got there … and then LA began to burn. Flames were all around our valley as undeveloped hillsides went up in flames the week of the event. The Santa Clarita race was canceled due to the resulting poor air quality. Luckily, southern California has a lot of races, so I signed up for the San Diego Marathon, now called the Carlsbad Marathon, that was scheduled 3 months later. 3 more months of training. Remember, running is ultimately a mental exercise. Motivation had to stay up for another 3 months.
And then I got to the starting line. I had intense emotions: I was finally at the beginning of something I had worked for 8 months to achieve. I was in the best shape of my life. I could not WAIT to run the marathon. It was truly an overwhelming experience.
Running the race was really never in doubt for me. After all, I knew I could run 40+ miles in a week. I knew I could run 22+ mile training runs. I had done both several times. So I knew I could complete the marathon. I knew it. That’s the mental preparedness, which resulted from physical preparedness.
I’m proud that I ran the first 6 miles in exactly 60 minutes. At that point, again, I knew I would have no problems completing the race. I am also proud that I ran 20 miles without stopping to walk. I haven’t been able to duplicate that feat again, unfortunately.
Crossing the finish line was pure joy. It was completion. It was accomplishment. It was fantastic.
I finished the race in 4 hours 38 minutes, which is still my personal best.
Could you run a marathon? Absolutely. When I started, I was obese and could not run. It took me over a year, but I got there. Taking this journey was one of the best decisions I have made.
It’s about the bling. It’s always about the bling.
A great story. A social media lesson. And a wonderful novel.
It’s tempting to say this is a triumph of new media. And it is … but it’s really a triumph of a very good book. That’s not a new media story — that’s a classic story. Good products win; good marketing only helps them win faster. And such is the case here.
Hugh Howey has successfully created a community that loves his writing. That is not done easily, and he has done it independently.
He was a part-time writer and book store employee struggling to find his way. He wrote a novella called Wool, which began to find an audience. He marketed it as a e-book on Amazon.com. As people began to find it, they became invested in his success.
They encouraged him to keep writing. He published more parts of the Wool story. Remember, this sort of episodic publishing is not new — authors have serialized their stories since soon after the printing press was published.
His readers volunteered to help with proof reading, and they helped correct Wool’s errors.
They submitted cover artwork.
Hugh Howey lives in Florida,. He is still a fiercely independent author in the US, though Wool will be coming out in hardback in 2013, from Random House UK.
And he kept writing. Howey recently gathered the first 5 Wool “books” into a single omnibus edition which is what I read. It’s a fabulous book, and worth your time. The movie rights to Wool were just sold to Sir Ridley Scott. You’ve seen his stuff: Thelma & Louise. Alien. Blade Runner. Gladiator. And he’s the executive producer of the best show on CBS: “The Good Wife.” Here’s hoping he can do something wonderful with Wool!
Today, some established authors have decried the lack of quality found among the independent authors that are self-publishing. Sue Grafton famously talked about the “wannabes” of independent publishing in this article published in August. It’s illuminating to note a few facts comparing Grafton’s latest novel, V is for Vengeance, with Howey’s Wool Omnibus.
V: 343 Amazon reviews averaging a 4.1 rating. $14.99 for the kindle edition.
Wool: 1,908 Amazon reviews averaging a 4.8 rating. $1.99 for the kindle edition TODAY … it’s Today’s Daily Deal!
I’ve read much of Grafton’s alphabet series; I have enjoyed following Kinsey Millhone, her private investigator that lives in the fictional southern California city of Santa Teresa. I certainly appreciate the professional presentation of her traditionally published novels. Who doesn’t appreciate good proof reading? On the other hand, even her deep catalog on the kindle is still $5.99 each. It seems traditional publishers expect readers to pay for that proof reading. Handsomely.
Howey has succeeded in tapping into his audience in a way that old-school authors like the 72-year old Grafton just can’t emulate. Check out my favorite part of Howey’s website, his chart of how many words he’s written for each of his ongoing projects. His readers know exactly where he is and what he’s working on.
But back to Wool.
Great opening line: “The children were playing while Holston climbed to his death; he could hear them squealing as only happy children do.”
Life has gotten very small in this post-apocalyptic story. The exterior world is deadly; the living world is limited to the inside of a giant buried silo that holds everyone and everything. The only view of the exterior world is limited by the cleanliness of the sensors mounted above ground at the top of the structure. When a silo resident goes outside to clean those sensors, they die.
How did people get into this situation? Why can’t they get out of it? What IS out there?
Read the book. You need to read this book. Buy it today for your kindle; only $1.99 on Amazon.com!
Me, I just bought Wool 6, which is a prequel. And since Wool 7 is already 60% done … can’t wait!
Umauma Falls is part of the World Tropical Garden, which is a gated attraction. It’s the only waterfall in Hawaii that you have to pay to see … and then you can stroll through the garden while you are there.
Akaka Falls is 422′ tall.
Our grand tour of Hawaii was in the home stretch when we made it to “the Big Island” of Hawaii. We had some great times, but we didn’t maximize our experience.
Kahuna Falls is just up the path from Akaka Falls. Waterfalls are everywhere in Hawaii!
Our biggest surprise was that we were unprepared to visit Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
We drove to the Volcano House and grabbed lunch. At the visitor’s center for the Park, we learned about visiting the volcano … and were surprised to learn that it was dangerous. Molten rock from the center of the earth? Dangerous? I know, I know. But we were surprised.
We found that they recommend you wear hiking shoes, leather gloves, long pants and shirtsleeves. Cooled lava can be as sharp as glass; you need to be prepared. And, of course, if a shelf unexpectedly collapses, you will die. I was surprised that the Park’s presentation was so negative about going to visit … it’s not like people die while visiting on a regular basis! However, Velda and I had not dressed appropriately, so we did not visit the live lava flow. We toured much of the rest of the park, which is interesting.
There was much, much else to see, and we got some great pictures, as you can see. Click on any picture to expand it to full size.
We visited a couple of gardens. The Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden was fabulous. The meandering path took you by many exotic plants on your way to the ocean. This is a great place; plan on a couple of hours if you’re going to take pictures and immerse yourself in the lush shade of this exotic place.
Steam venting from the Kilauea Caldera. Shot taken from the Volcano House overlook.
We also visited the World Botanical Garden, a much younger attraction that was a bit pricey for the experience. You have to pay their admission to see Umauma Falls. There’s quite a bit to see, but it’s the least appealing of the gardens we have visited in Hawaii. Maybe it will improve with age; perhaps we should visit it again in 2018.
We drove around the island (literally), and it was surprising to see the miles and miles of lava fields. Hawaii, AKA The Big Island, is the youngest of the islands (indeed, it’s still growing as the lava continues to flow into the ocean!). Driving the perimeter of the island is a great day. See the sights along the way; it will be a nice leisurely excursion.
Steam rising from the ground near the volcano is an everyday event.
A very large lava tube, which happens when lava cools, and then hot lava burns a new path through it, leaving a hollow shell.
Watch closely and you’ll see a mongoose.
Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden
World Tropical Garden
Good to know this road is the way to leave, right?
Our electronic tether has become shorter and shorter. I used to train my sales reps that they had 24 hours to return a phone call. Today, that would seem hopelessly unresponsive.
The average 18-24 year old exchanges about 16 text messages every waking hour according to Pew Research.
A client contacted you? You had better respond within the hour. And if you don’t respond within 5 minutes, you may well frustrate your client just as assuredly as you would frustrate a comically insecure girl. Watch “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” if you need a refresher on what happens when you are unresponsive to a person of the opposite sex (and it’s a good romantic comedy as well).
HOWEVER, what’s good for your professional life is anathema to your personal life. I believe you should have 1 appointment and 1 rule for your family every day. Every day.
Every single day.
1. Your family should eat together every evening. That’s difficult with a baby, of course, and it’s difficult with a teenager. But you need to make it happen every possible day. It doesn’t matter if you are doing home cooking (though that is great — even if you are a lousy cook like me). It does matter that you sit down as a family and break bread as a family. Work schedules will interfere; high school activities will as well. Do your best: eat together absolutely as often as possible.
2. Electronic devices are not allowed. No television, no cellphones. No one answers their phone while at the dinner table. A musical background is recommended: music is good for the soul. But no cellphones. No text messages. No handheld gaming systems. No iPads. None.
Our family dinners were so good — and yes, Velda’s cooking was so good — that Alley’s # 1 choice for a wedding gift was a cookbook of family recipes. That became a part of her wedding celebration, with recipes contributed by family and friends. It’s important to build memories with your family.
Normal Rockwell was right: family dinners are important, and not just when turkey is being served.
What’s the purpose of dinner? Sharing thoughts about your day, your week, your life — with everyone and for everyone. Young children learn how adults think. Adults learn how teenagers think. And that’s good for every member of your family. The benefits accrue gradually, over years. Share a laugh, share an idea, share your life.
I was struck last weekend by a young boy exiting a very nice restaurant with his family. He was so engrossed in his video game that he couldn’t see to walk out of the restaurant. He bumped into strangers. He bumped into hard objects like chairs and walls. What did Mom do? She caught up to him, grabbed his head, and steered him between the obstacles so he wouldn’t lose his place in his game.
What did he learn? Mom would be in charge and it didn’t matter what he did: he could be remote, unengaged and rude. Doesn’t that sound like a wonderful future employee? Husband? Father?
What did Mom learn? That her son needs her to be in charge, as he’s unable to cope in polite society. She’s a future helicopter parent, the scourge of teachers and colleges everywhere.
If you have young children, start this today. If you have older children, start this today. If your kids are grown up and out of the nest, then begin having an appointment meal at least once a week.
If you’re already doing it, you have my thanks. If you don’t do this … you’re missing it.
I was struck by the research highlighted in a recent article published by The Atlantic, but could not believe the twisted tale the author wanted to prove. The author, Mr. David A. Graham, Associate Editor of The Atlantic, compares two studies to make a conclusion that political considerations now outweigh race considerations in our society. This takes some explanation; you can read The Atlantic’s article, here.
Mr. Graham wants to prove that a parent is more concerned about the politics of their child’s spouse than they are of the race of that spouse. Politics or race … which is more important to a marriage.
Really? That’s what we’re supposed to be most concerned with as parents? I guess concerns like happiness, safety and opportunity should go right out the window.
Let’s look at the studies.
One smash-up of a study traces the attitude of parents towards having their child marry across political party lines. The study is actually a conglomeration of studies spread across 50 years with different questions asked of different generations. The modern question is phrased in a more divisive fashion than the older one … and as any researcher will tell you, the phrasing of the question influences the quality of the answer. In this case, the 1960 question asked if the parent would be “displeased” if their child married outside of the parent’s political party. In 2010, the question was would they be “upset” if their child married someone of the other party (emphasis is mine).
Given the 2010 question sets up a more emotional response and even presupposes a bifurcated political system, we should not be surprised with the result. Voila! We are living in a society that is more politically polarized than it was 50 years ago. As true as that may be, to rest an argument on this “measure” of the strength of that parental feeling is truly building your foundation on sand.
I will tell the truth here: my parents didn’t know Velda’s political party when we were married. I don’t think it would have mattered much, as my parents often voted for different people. They joked about how their votes would cancel each other out on election day.
Jokes didn’t mean that their votes were not important … they meant that their life together was more important than the votes that they cast. Marriage trumps politics. Sounds right to me.
But back to Mr. Graham. He takes his flawed finding about the growing importance of politics in approving of your children’s spouse with a Gallup Poll, which has measured how parents might view interracial marriage. This poll, conducted since 1958, asks not what you would think of your child marrying a person of another race; rather, it asks how you view interracial marriage.
Unfortunately, this survey is conducted differently than the smash-up study attempting to measure political acceptance. The racial study asks a general question, not a specific question. It asks what a parent thinks in general about interracial marriage, which is hardly the same thing as what a parent might think specifically about marriage between political parties.
For example, how do I feel in general about professional sports? I think they are fine. People are amused by watching sports. I have no problem with sports; they’re great.
How do I feel specifically about professional wrestling? I think it’s a waste of time. It’s not “sport.” I hate it. I have no time for it. It serves no purpose.
There’s a big difference between what I think about things in general and then what my specific opinions are on what I want to do with my time. Therefore, what a parent thinks in general about interracial marriage is hardly the same thing as what a parent might think specifically about marriage between political parties.
How do I feel in general about the Democratic or Republican party is one thing … but how I feel about a specific politician is quite another. Same goes with race: how I feel in general about who someone marries has little to do with how I feel about whom they specifically marry.
But that doesn’t stop Mr. Graham:
“The questions aren’t quite parallel, but one could probably assume safely that most Americans would rather have their child marry someone of a different color than a different political party. On the one hand, progress!”
And since we’ve read his thesis on the internet, we know it to be true. Sure enough, NPR jumped on the same bandwagon; here’s an article they published on Monday, here.
Marriage must not be defined by race or politics. Shakespeare said it many times: love is blind. And, as he showed in the most famous of love stories, Romeo and Juliet did not care for the political intrigue of their families; they only cared for their love.
I asked Velda to marry me on our first date: it was love at first sight … but that is a story for another day.
The Easton Press collectible books are pretty. They’ve got gold-embossed leather covers, custom endpapers and a ribbon bound in as a bookmark. It just feels different than when reading a Kindle; the Kindle can’t duplicate the feeling of turning pages.
I’ve always been a reader. My folks always had money for me to buy books in elementary school — and money was precious. Reading, though, was important.
And I became a reader.
A few years ago, I decided to step up my game. I was reading a lot of novels — mainly political thrillers, police procedurals and hard sci-fi.
I discovered the Easton Press, and subscribed to a couple of their series: The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written, and The Masterpieces of Science Fiction (which Easton has since canceled). Every month, I get a classic book in the mail, and one result is a great office environment for me.
Since I’ve already received a petition to leave this accumulation to someone in my will, I know my passion for good reads in attractive packages is shared.
I’ve supplemented the library with non-redundant selections from another canceled series, The 100 Greatest Books of All Time, published by Franklin Library. You put it all together, and you’ve got a very fine and far-reaching collection of literature. The authors range from Orson Scott Card to Franz Kafka, from Virgil to Shakespeare, from Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., to Petronius.
What’s it take to become a classic? Perhaps having the best opening line, and the best closing line … in the same book! Such duality is the case in A Tale of Two Cities.
Dickens lived 1812-1870, and meticulously researched the historical references in A Tale of Two Cities.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
From that beginning, Dickens takes you on a journey through Victorian England and revolutionary France. You get unique perspectives on human compassion, love, dedication to your profession and revenge. It’s also a heady brew of human misery.
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
You need to read this book.
Then watch some of the new sitcoms and tell me your time with “The New Normal” is time well spent.
Some of the books are difficult reads, frankly. I typically read in dribs and drabs … several minutes over weekday lunches, and perhaps an hour in the evening. I’m often multi-tasking, with a sandwich in my hand or waiting for a computer program to install. I’ve found I have difficulty appreciating poetry with that backdrop. I also don’t like reading plays — ironic, given my passion in college was theater. Perhaps that’s simply I love doing theater, not reading the literature.
Some books are true surprises: loved the Count of Monte Cristo. Really haven’t liked any of Jules Verne; it’s just too dated for me. Thoreau’s Walden hasn’t improved with age (I liked it when I read it years ago; was totally non-plussed this time through). Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None was fabulous, as was Zola’s Nana. And many more!
Your mileage will vary, of course. And isn’t that discovery really the fun part?
